Quantification of Data from Color Images

RGBcal and DyEye are tools for analyzing RGB (Red-Green-Blue) color images on DOS-based microcomputers. Their purpose is to transform an RGB image via some equation into
quantitative information. This information can be boolean, denoting the presence or absence of some characteristic (e.g., plant versus soil), or it may be continuous (e.g., the concentration of dye on the soil surface).

RGBcal is used to develop and calibrate the transforming relationship, and DyEye is used to effect the transformation. Both programs work with uncompressed TIFF (tag image file format) files, a common and flexible raster image file format recognized by
most scanners, digital cameras, image editing programs, and even many word processors. The programs were designed to be used on small DOS-based computers, but are capable of working with quite large image
files. The programs were originally developed with agronomic applications in mind, as reflected in the examples, but they are not restricted to that field.

The programs are written in Turbo Pascal 7.0, and most of the source code is in the public domain. It is my hope that other people may benefit from having access to my code, and perhaps make suggestions and
improvements. I also hope to port the programs to Delphi, giving them Windows feel and capabilities, but am making no promises as to when that may happen.

For more information on RGBcal and DyEye, you can view the program manuals. If you are interested in using these programs to measure
area, perimeter, or length of objects, you might also want to look at information on the companion program, RootEdge (recently updated to version 2.2g).
Click here to download the files necessary to run the programs (executables, manual, and support files), or here
to download everything, including source code.

If you are interested in looking over a few example applications, you can download four sample images of a corn canopy,
which is referred to in an article in the Jan./Feb. 1999 Agronomy Journal, or some calibration files (scratched surface) and a composite image of a dyed soil surface
from an article in the Jan./Feb. 1999 Soil Science Society of America Journal.